No Bluffin' Muffin: Purely Elizabeth Muffin Mix

I am convinced, that in New York City, there are more muffins produced on any given day then there are people to eat them. Forget the cupcake, the muffin reigns supreme over the cupcake, the bagel, and even the populist hot dog. Muffins are wholesome, satisfying, and amazingly negotiable with one hand while racing between trains. However, there is a huge gulf between a muffin at a place like Dunkin' Donuts and a muffin tucked away in some little village bakery. The definition of a muffin actually transmutes between these spaces and is a whole different animal altogether if it is in fact homemade: A sublime fat-bomb in one location, and a humble fat-bomb elsewhere.

Purely Elizabeth Muffin Mixes takes the humble and unremarkable construct of a muffin mix and imbues it with a little more self-respect, and integrity. Most store-bought muffin mixes promise you the world in a little convenient package. Purely Elizabeth Muffins are presumably no different, except they offer all that as well as unparalleled nutrition. These muffin mixes are dominantly defined by what they are lacking, rather than what ingredients they actually contain (as with most foods these days). They are gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, GMO-free, preservative-free, etc. What they do have to boast are things like whole grains, millet flour, flax seeds, organic hemp seeds, chia seeds, and various other organic ingredients, all of which make for a substantially healthy muffin.

But we have all been burned by so-called "healthy muffins" before; as they try to pass off their leaden spelt-bombs as a way to start the day. Happily Purely Elizabeth muffins provide a relatively healthy alternative without leaving you feeling ripped off. The Blueberry Maple Muffin Mix has a nice nutty flavor, moderate sweetness, with a winning toothsome quality. The Apple Spice Muffin Mix holds a lot of the same qualities as the Blueberry variety, but the result could have been a bit more spicy (as advertised). With both of these mixes, a little bit of extra energy (and additional shopping) is required. In addition to the dry mix supplied in these upright foil packets, you are obligated to supply additional ingedients like eggs, olive oil, blueberries, apples, maple syrup, and vanilla: making it a bit more labor (and cost) intensive than what you might expect. However, this also gives you the freedom of creative control to add, subtract, or modify ingredients as you see fit (i.e. more cinnamon, a handful of pecans, etc). All of which makes Purely Elizabeth Muffin Mixes less of a whole package and more of a template or foundation for some remarkable muffin inventions.

Purely Elizabeth Muffin Mixes come in three varieties (Apple Spice, Blueberry, and Cacao) and are sold in 7.8-ounce pouches (each makes a small dozen). Available at Westerly's Market, Lifethyme Market, and online.

Travel down the grocery aisles with Eric as he keeps an eager, but skeptical, eye on the merchandise and foodstuff that fill the grocery shelves. Learn what's hot, what's not, and what's just plain weird, as he obsessively reads labels, admires packaging, dismisses misleading marketing ploys, and takes you along for some serious yet fun food shopping.
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